The Monday, April 12, 2021

* The Boston Globe

J.D. Martinez leads six-homer barrage as Red Sox finish off sweep

Julian McWilliams

BALTIMORE — In the top of the eighth Sunday, what was once a 10-1 lead shrunk to 10-7, J.D. Martinez stepped into his usual comfort zone.

He had homered twice in the contest already, in the third and in the sixth, both to the opposite field. But on this pitch, a 0-2 left middle-in by reliever , Martinez saw an opportunity to really do damage. His approach remains up the middle to right field, but this time he leaned into the former, belting a Wells changeup practically right where he pitched it for a third home .

“He’s locked in,” manager said afterward. “You can tell, walking around and talking to him. He is a guy I saw in ’18 and ’19. He has an idea of what he wants to do. He doesn’t deviate from his process.”

That, and ’s two-run jack two batters later — his second of the day and fourth of this series — sealed the convincing 14-9 win. It completed the Sox’ second straight sweep and sixth straight win. Sunday further affirmed an already-hot Red Sox offense, doubling its production to 12 home runs in its last six games, scoring 53 runs in that span.

Yet at the fulcrum of it all is Martinez, who finished the day 4 for 6 and is batting .472 to start the year with five homers. His 12 extra-base hits are the most by any player in his first eight games of the season in history.

Sunday’s showing came after Martinez was forced to the COVID-19 Related on Saturday. Martinez came down with a common cold and had to go through the league protocols and testing in order to ensure he was negative for COVID-19. As a result, the red-hot Martinez was confined to his hotel room before he was reactivated early Sunday afternoon.

“It’s part of it,” Martinez said. “Everyone is trying to take precautions and everything. But at the same time, it’s a little frustrating.”

Alex Verdugo tagged in on the action, too, squaring up his first homer of the season, a three-run blast, in the top of the third inning off Baltimore starter Jorge López. Martinez was right behind him, making it back-to-back blasts. At the end of it, López had run into a buzzsaw, yielding seven runs in just four .

“I mean that’s part of who we are,” Cora said. “We put some good swings on the ball throughout this series. We the ball in the air. We got into a groove offensively.”

The Red Sox got six innings from starter , who allowed four runs on seven hits while striking out seven, and has won all four of his Red Sox starts dating back to last season. But, again, the collective offense was the key to Sunday’s win.

“When they come up there and start putting a couple runs across the board, you get to relax a little bit more, kind of ease into it,” Pivetta said.

Martinez can’t remember a run like his most recent one. Perhaps in 2014, when he was still a member of the , he said, but he doesn’t try and think about it. His approach, as it’s always been, is to remain technical and precise in the moment in front of him.

“I think the moment you’re aware of it, you’re no longer in it,” Martinez said. “So I try to not be aware of it and just try to focus on the small tasks and focus on my gameplan off certain and what I’m trying to do. That’s how I kind of control the whole thing.”

Martinez has an extra-base hit in nine straight games (dating to last season’s finale), tying a Red Sox record. The player the Sox are seeing is one that Cora, and Martinez himself, knew would show up this season.

“I know he talked about last year and how he’s on a mission to prove people wrong, but it was only 60 games,” Cora said. “He was one month away from getting his numbers right. I’m glad that he’s swinging the bat the way he is.”

Nick Pivetta, backed by big offense, did what he needed to against Baltimore

Julian McWilliams

BALTIMORE — Nick Pivetta has a way of getting out of trouble.

He drew a solid chunk of hard contact in his outing against the Orioles on Sunday, but like each of his starts, made pitches when he had to. He tossed six innings, surrendering seven hits and four runs, including a three-run shot in the sixth inning which cut the Sox’ lead at the time to 10-4.

The offense certainly carried most of the load, but Pivetta’s stuff also played. He had a pivotal of looking with the bases loaded in the third. Santander had fouled off seven pitches during the at-bat, but Pivetta froze him on a 1-2 on the inner half of the plate.

“He put together a good at-bat,” Pivetta said after the 14-9 win. “That’s a big at-bat at the time. It was just fun. It’s nice to be out there and compete.”

A cross-up in that same frame between Pivetta and Christian Vázquez could have resulted in a run for the Orioles, but the ball didn’t go back far enough, enabling Vázquez to smother it. Pivetta then made the gutsy call to put his body in front of the plate, even with the speedy hustling down the line.

Pivetta applied the tag, and pumped his fist after the out call got the Sox out of the jam.

“I just tried to get my body in front of the plate and meet him there and get my legs in front so I could kind of block to plate the best I could with the ball,” Pivetta said. “Because I believe the rule is if the ball takes you into the plate, you can block it.”

“That was an aggressive play,” manager Alex Cora said. “It was a big play at the moment.”

Pivetta has a 3.27 ERA this season. Since being traded to the Red Sox at the end of last year, Pivetta hasn’t lost, compiling a 4-0 record in as many starts.

Devers delivers

Rafael Devers had himself a weekend. He hit a homer in each of the three games, with two coming on Sunday. He totaled six hits and 9 RBIs.

Devers has the third-most extra-base hits by a Red Sox in their first 400 games at 189. The two in front of him are and , who are tied with 219.

“Obviously, I made a couple changes here and there, but I still maintain the same approach as I do every single game and now things are falling in my favor,” said Devers, who raised his batting average to .250. “So it feels good to be able to be contributing as much as I am right now.”

Devers began hitting the ball on the screws in the home series against the , compiling more productive at-bats. Cora knew it was only a matter of time before his went on a tear.

“He feels really good about himself,” Cora said. “He hit some hard balls. There were some big walks against Tampa. When he starts walking and controlling the strike zone, good things are going to happen. And he loves hitting here.”

Indeed he does, or at least that’s what the numbers say. Devers has eight career homers in 26 games at Camden Yards, the most out of any road ballpark he’s played in.

“We play here a lot, so I guess that contributes to my success here as well,” Devers said. “But I’m just doing what I do best and just trying to not change too much and just stick to my game plan as I usually do.”

Plenty of afternoon baseball

The Red Sox will begin a four-game series against the on Monday. All four are scheduled day games, starting at 2:10 p.m. Monday-Wednesday and 1:10 p.m. Thursday. In the wake of a potential not-guilty verdict in the murder trial of former Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin, the first trial connected to last May’s death of George Floyd, Cora intimated that the Twins wanted to be as cautious as possible. “Not only do we have to be careful, but we have to be in tune with everything that is going on outside of our world,” Cora said. “So, we’ll be OK. We’re going over there to do a job and play four baseball games. Then we’ll be in the hotel and we hang in together” . . . J.D. Martinez has the second-most RBIs by a Red Sox in their first nine games of a season with 15 . . . Sunday was the 34th three-homer game in Red Sox history, and Martinez the 25th-different Red Sox to accomplish it. It was also the 31st time the Red Sox hit as many as six homers in a game . . . The Red Sox own the league’s longest active winning streak at six. They have averaged 8.8 runs per game during it, batting .332 and slugging .574.

Red Sox reinstate J.D. Martinez from COVID-19 list

Julian McWilliams

The Red Sox reinstated J.D. Martinez from the COVID-19 Related Injured List early Sunday afternoon. was optioned to the team’s alternate site. Martinez was out of the lineup Saturday with what the team described as a common cold. But because of COVID protocols implemented by , Martinez had to undergo a rapid test in addition to a more in-depth polymerase chain reaction test.

Martinez will play in Sunday’s series finale against the Baltimore Orioles. The veteran designated hitter entered the day batting .433/.469/.867 with two homers and leads the majors with seven doubles.

Red Sox embracing vaccinations would keep their good run rolling

Peter Abraham

BALTIMORE — When the state of Texas made anybody 16 or older eligible for COVID-19 vaccinations in late March, the Astros changed their travel plans and landed in Houston to get their travel party vaccinated before continuing on to California for Opening Day.

“Fortunately for us, I think it’s a heck of thing for our players, heck of a thing for our city,” manager Dusty Baker said.

The Cardinals arranged to have vaccines ready for their group when they arrived in Cincinnati for Opening Day.

“It creates some freedom,” manager Mike Shildt said.

The Yankees jumped at their chance last Wednesday, having staff from a nearby hospital come to Yankee Stadium to administer the shots.

“It was an exciting day,” manager Aaron Boone said.

There have been similar stories about other teams, but so far not for the Red Sox.

Based on the latest information provided by Mass.gov, Sox players will be eligible next Monday, when the age limit drops to 16-and-older. The plan is to have vaccinations available that day. The question is how many players will opt to receive them.

Manager Alex Cora revealed Sunday that he had his first shot in Fort Myers last month, as did some of the coaches. Cora was eager to get inoculated.

“For me it’s not uncomfortable,” he said. “For my reason, I live life outside the clubhouse wearing a mask and keeping the distance. That’s in my DNA. That’s the way we live back home [in Puerto Rico].”

Cora didn’t have to deal with all of Major League Baseball’s protocols last season while suspended. When he returned as manager, a big part of his day became making sure the team was adhering to the rules.

The Sox had a day off Friday, and Cora said he was relieved it rained in Baltimore because that lessened the chance players would leave the hotel.

He hopes most, if not all, of the players will be vaccinated. None have been so far.

“I do believe it’s going to make a difference,” Cora said. “Looking forward for the guys to make a decision and do what they have to do. Hopefully we can get this going as normal as possible.”

This is where it gets tricky for Cora and the Sox. He can tell his players when to be on the bus, to take a pitch, or steal a base. But he can’t tell them to get vaccinated.

A baseball team, like any segment of the population, will have those who embrace the idea and others who are skeptical. The Sox have players from five countries on their roster, with a wide assortment of educational and family backgrounds.

The Sox are planning a formal presentation to the players from medical professionals to explain how vaccines work and why they should participate.

Cora is already doing his own lobbying.

“I take my manager’s hat away and just tell them how I feel about it as a person and what it means for me and my family and the people that surround me,” he said. “They’ll go from there. That’s the way we talk about it.”

In a rare show of unity, MLB and the Players Association distributed a memo in March strongly encouraging vaccinations. They also added a series of incentives for teams that get 85 percent of their group [players, coaches, and staffers] vaccinated.

Players would be allowed to have vaccinated members of their families on road trips, eat in restaurants, play video games in the clubhouse again, and get tested less often.

Cora is hopeful the Sox will hit that mark based on the conversations he has had in recent weeks.

“The way it’s going, I do believe we will,” he said. “But you never know, people may change their mind.”

As Cora acknowledged, there’s also a competitive advantage for teams who have been vaccinated.

“They’re doing it for the right reasons. But at the same time, if you want it to be as normal as possible, it’s there,” he said.

The Sox have already had two COVID-19 scares, one at the end of spring training that unsettled the roster for a few days before proving to be a false alarm. It happened again Saturday when J.D. Martinez was placed on the COVID-19 injured list for a day because he had symptoms.

Tests were negative, and Martinez came back on Sunday and belted three home runs as the Sox beat the Orioles, 14-9, and extended their win streak to six games.

The 6-3 Sox have a good thing going on the field so far. The team embracing the vaccine and serving as an example to others would continue that trend.

* The Boston Herald

J.D. Martinez clobbers three homers in return from COVID list as Red Sox sweep Orioles for sixth straight win

Jason Mastrodonato

Saturday, J.D. Martinez had a cold.

Sunday, Martinez hit three home runs, including two to the opposite field and another to straightaway center to lead the Sox to a 14-9 win over the Orioles on Sunday for their sixth straight victory.

With a chance to tie his own major league record in the ninth, Martinez swung and missed at a 3-2 that fell out of the zone. He looked back at the , , and shook his head.

It looked like Martinez was swinging at the 3-2 pitch no matter what. It’s been almost four years since he last hit four homers in a single game, earning him a share of the MLB record. He was with the Diamondbacks and in the midst of a hot streak he probably never thought he’d repeat.

“I’ll tell you if I’m Arizona-hot,” Martinez told this reporter during one hot streak in 2018.

It looks like Martinez is Arizona-hot right now.

While he hit a remarkable .302 with 29 homers in 62 games with the Diamondbacks after being traded in the middle of the 2017 season, he now has a .472 average with five homers, seven doubles and 16 RBIs in eight games, a pace that’s beyond comprehension (and surely impossible to sustain).

The Sox weren’t even sure if Martinez would be available to play on Sunday after he missed Saturday with cold symptoms while he awaited the results of a COVID-19 rapid test.

They announced the lineup just about an hour before game time and there was Martinez, back in the three- hole.

He struck out in his first at-bat, then homered in his next three.

Rafael Devers also homered twice and went deep once as the Sox nearly doubled their total (seven entering Sunday) in one game.

It was the fourth time in Red Sox history that one player hit three homers while another hit two. It had also been done by Nomar Garciaparra and in 2002, Garciaparra and Trot Nixon in 1999 and Bobby Doerr, Ted Williams and Walt Dropo in 1950.

After starting the season 0-3, the Sox became the first team since the 2005 Mets to begin the year with a losing streak of three or more games followed by six straight wins.

Three more takeaways from Sunday’s victory to secure the sweep:

1. Devers made another sensational play at third base, leaping to his right to snag a line drive and then firing a bullet to first to up the Orioles. It was his second straight day with a remarkable throw from the third-base line to nail a runner at first.

2. Nick Pivetta looked strong until the sixth inning, when the Sox held a 10-1 lead and Pivetta might’ve lost focus. took him deep for a three-run shot that ended his otherwise impressive second outing of the year. He finished six innings while allowing four runs on seven hits and three walks, striking out seven.

3. finally got on the board with an extra-base hit, as he roped a double off the left-field wall. He was 1-for-4 with a strikeout and a walk. Overall he’s 3-for-25 this season with 10 and three walks. He also made an error in the field on a routine grounder.

Red Sox Notebook: J.D. Martinez hits three homers but still doesn’t feel hot

Jason Mastrodonato

Saturday, J.D. Martinez had a cold.

Sunday, Martinez hit three home runs, including two to the opposite field and another to straightaway center to lead the Sox to a 14-9 win over the Orioles for their sixth straight victory.

With a chance to tie his own major league record in the ninth, Martinez swung and missed at a 3-2 breaking ball that fell out of the zone. He looked back at the pitcher, Paul Fry, and shook his head.

Martinez said he was swinging at the 3-2 pitch no matter what.

“I really don’t think he’s going to throw me a strike, but I have to take the chance, just to at least foul it off if it’s a really good pitch,” he said.

It’s been almost four years since he last hit four homers in a single game, earning him a share of the MLB record. He was with the Diamondbacks and in the midst of a hot streak he probably never thought he’d repeat.

“I’ll tell you if I’m Arizona-hot,” Martinez told this reporter during one hot streak in 2018.

It looks like Martinez is on his way toward getting Arizona-hot.

While he hit a remarkable .302 with 29 homers in 62 games with the Diamondbacks after being traded in the middle of the 2017 season, he now has a .472 average with five homers, seven doubles and 16 RBIs in eight games, a pace that’s beyond comprehension (and surely impossible to sustain).

Asked if he was Arizona-hot, he laughed.

“I wouldn’t say that,” he said. “That’s a long shot away. If I get to 12 home runs this month, you can ask me that question.”

Martinez doesn’t feel like he’s in a hot streak at all, actually.

“I think the moment you’re aware of it, you’re no longer in it, so I try to not be aware of it and just try to focus on the small tasks,” he said.

The Sox weren’t even sure if Martinez would be available to play on Sunday after he missed Saturday with cold symptoms while he awaited the results of a COVID-19 rapid test. He said he was frustrated to stay in his hotel all day.

They announced the lineup just about an hour before game time and there was Martinez, back in the three- hole, as they activated him from the COVID-19 related injury list and optioned Michael Chavis back to the alternate site.

Martinez struck out in his first at-bat, then homered in his next three.

Laundry time

The Sox’ newest home run celebration involves a laundry cart stacked with towels.

It seems to be the backup catcher’s job to push whoever hits a homer in the laundry cart through a wave of high-fives in the dugout.

“It started last year,” said Rafael Devers. “I don’t remember who started it. It may have been (Christian) Vazquez or someone else. It was a last year thing we just carried over to this season.”

Said Martinez, “It’s just something stupid but fun. We enjoy it. Any little thing we can do to create some camaraderie with the guys and kind of bring everybody tighter and together, it’s been fun. We get a new cart every park. This one was too deep. It was freaking really deep. I was like, ‘you guys are going to have to carry me to get me out of this thing.’”

Chains come off Pivetta

Finally, the Red Sox let one of their starting pitchers go more than 92 pitches.

While managers around the league are being extra cautious with their starters after the short season last year, the Sox had been pulling theirs between 79 and 92 pitches until Sunday, when Nick Pivetta threw 101 pitches in six innings of four-run ball.

It was just the second time this season a Sox starter went more than 5⅓ innings.

“I do believe right around the first week of May is when you start letting it go,” manager Alex Cora said. “I’m very pleased with the way we’ve thrown the ball, very pleased with the effort and the chances they’ve given us to win the game.”

Odds and ends…

Devers homered twice and Alex Verdugo went deep once as the Sox nearly doubled their home run total (seven entering Sunday) in one game.

“He feels really good about himself,” Cora said of Devers. “He hit some hard balls at home, it was just a matter of time.”

It was the fourth time in Red Sox history that one player hit three homers while another hit two. It had also been done by Nomar Garciaparra and Manny Ramirez in 2002, Garciaparra and Trot Nixon in 1999 and Bobby Doerr, Ted Williams and Walt Dropo in 1950…

Cora said he received his first round of the COVID-19 vaccine in Fort Myers before the season started, but no Red Sox players have been vaccinated. The team plans to present some medical information to the players when they return to Boston and Cora hopes they’ll get to the 85% vaccination rate that will allow certain restrictions to loosen…

All four of the Sox’ games in Minnesota this week will be played during the day in order to avoid nighttime foot traffic while the George Floyd trial is taking place.

Red Sox activate J.D. Martinez from the COVID list, option Michael Chavis

Jason Mastrodonato

After a one-day break due to cold symptoms while he awaited his COVID-19 test results, J.D. Martinez returned to the Red Sox lineup on Sunday afternoon.

The Sox were set to go for the sweep of the Orioles, a team that won three straight off them to start the season. But Alex Cora’s crew rebounded with three wins over the Rays and two more against the O’s as they took a five-game winning streak into Sunday’s series finale.

Martinez was the first player in Sox history to have an extra-base hit in each of the team’s first seven games, but his illness on Saturday ended his streak. The Red Sox were awaiting his test results as of Sunday morning, but must’ve received good news as they activated him off the COVID-19 related injury list just before gametime.

To make room for Martinez, the Sox optioned Michael Chavis back to the alternate site in Worcester. Chavis was part of the five-man taxi squad in Baltimore. He appeared as a pinch runner in the 10th inning of the Sox’ 6-4 win over the O’s on Saturday and scored the go-ahead run.

Here’s how the Sox lined up behind RHP Nick Pivetta against the Orioles and RHP Jorge Lopez on Sunday:

Hernandez CF Verdugo RF Martinez DH Bogaerts SS Devers 3B Vazquez C Gonzalez 2B Dalbec 1B Cordero LF

Winning Red Sox are worth watching again, but don’t buy in just yet

Jason Mastrodonato

Make it six wins in a row for the Red Sox.

And they did it with style, homering six times and putting up two touchdowns in a 14-9 victory over the Orioles on Sunday.

Why does it still feel difficult to buy into this team? I have a few guesses.

The Sox became the first team since the 2005 Mets to start the year with at least three straight losses and follow it with six wins in a row.

The 2005 Mets, you probably don’t remember, didn’t sniff the postseason. They lost five in a row to start the season, won the next six and still managed to end April under .500 (11-13) and finish 83-79 overall.

But what the ’05 Mets did have was an ace. Pedro Martinez, at 33 years old and just off a win with the Red Sox, went 15-8 with a 2.82 ERA. And while the 2021 Sox’ rotation might end up having more depth, they don’t have anyone quite like Pedro.

They’ve got Eduardo Rodriguez, who looked as good as one could’ve hoped after an 18-month layoff (five innings, three runs, seven strikeouts against an Orioles team he usually dominates). Nick Pivetta has looked better than expected and could turn out to be a decent back-end starter. still looks like a project at this point. was dominant, but got sent to the minors.

The closest thing the Sox have to an ace is (12⅓ innings, two runs, 11 strikeouts).

Through two starts — repeat that part again — Eovaldi has been as good as anybody. Pull up his StatCast data and you’ll see nothing but red, with numbers that rank in the top quarter of the league in just about every category, while his average exit velocity of 81 mph is better than 97% of big league pitchers.

His repertoire, too, has been worth noting.

He’s severely reduced the usage of a traditional cutter, going from 31% cutters to 9% from last year to this year, instead using more of a traditional , a pitch he hasn’t thrown in two years, according to StatCast.

If he was anybody else, we’d be looking at his first two starts and wondering if this guy was about to lead the Red Sox into the Wild Card Game or, dare we even say it, the Division Series?

Unfortunately, Eovaldi hasn’t made 30 starts since 2017. He’s averaged 20 starts a season throughout his career, and projecting him to continue dominating six months from now is a pointless exercise.

Nobody knows how Rodriguez will hold up over a full season, and it’s hard to believe the team would let him make 30 starts after missing the entire 2020 season.

Their actual ace, , hasn’t yet started throwing off a mound. He had Tommy John surgery about the same time as the Mets’ Noah Syndergaard last March, but Syndergaard was already throwing 98 mph off a mound in March, and he’s expected back in June. To expect Sale back anytime before August is also a longshot.

In the bullpen, there’s a lot to be figured out.

Matt Barnes has never been this good and he’s going to make himself a lot of money in the winter if he keeps it up. But who is Alex Cora’s No. 2 reliever? has struggled, Darwinzon Hernandez looks erratically excellent. Rule 5 pick is interesting, but unproven. And it’s the journeyman long-man who has been Cora’s second choice to close games.

The offense is getting insane production from one player in particular, Martinez.

Rafael Devers is looking dangerous, too. Christian Vazquez is locked in. Alex Verdugo is always consistent. And while Kiké Hernandez hasn’t made much of an impact yet, he’s been hammering the ball.

The Sox will need to figure out how they’re going to get production from the corner outfield spots, who can play second base regularly and if Bobby Dalbec (3-for-25 with 10 strikeouts) is going to become a contributor.

This team has caught some luck with a few replay reviews that went its way and some bad defense from the Rays and Orioles in these last two series, but it’s also been resilient, coming from behind to win four of the six games.

In their own words, they’ve been grinding out these victories. It’s what good teams do. But nothing has come easy. And it’s only April.

The best way to envision the Sox staying atop their division for an extended duration is to believe Martinez is going to have a vintage -like season and carry the team on his back while inspiring (and/or coaching) better performance from everyone around him.

“I told you guys when we lost three and everyone was panicking I said relax guys, it’s only three games,” Martinez said. “There’s still a lot more games to go.

“And I’ll say it right now — so what? We’ve won six in a row, there’s still a lot more to go.”

At least the Red Sox are showing something. They’re worth watching. They’re engaging. They’re interesting.

They were none of those things last year.

It’s going to take more than one good week before we start believing.

* The Providence Journal

Martinez, Devers lead Red Sox to 14-9 pasting of Orioles

Bill Koch

Need more evidence that the Red Sox are a long way from 2020?

Go back and watch the third inning of Sunday’s victory over the Orioles.

Boston wound up on the right end of two replay challenges, benefited from a bad miss on a called third strike and retired a runner at the plate after a cross-up between Nick Pivetta and Christian Vazquez.

This game at Camden Yards was a 14-9 Red Sox triumph and finished off a weekend sweep. Boston piled on at the plate after taking an early 4-0 lead, one preserved thanks to a series of events in the early going.

“Last weekend was last weekend,” Red Sox manager Alex Cora said, referencing a three-game home sweep at the hands of Baltimore. “I think the only bad game we had was Sunday. Besides that, we’re staying with the program.”

Franchy Cordero was called out after his leadoff chopper to the left side, and the Red Sox asked for a review. Cordero was ruled safe, Kiké Hernandez singled through the left side and the next two plate appearances resulted in back-to-back home runs by Alex Verdugo and J.D. Martinez. Boston was suddenly off and running.

“We have a great group here,” Martinez said. “I’ve kind of been saying to you guys all along I like our offense. I think the guys are doing what they know how to do.”

Nick Pivetta found himself in a jam looking for a shutdown inning in the bottom half. Baltimore loaded the bases with one out and No. 3 hitter Anthony Santander at the plate. Pivetta's ninth pitch on a 1-and-2 count was a fastball off the plate inside, but umpire Andy Fletcher opted to ring up Santander for the second out.

“Pivetta made some great pitches to Santander,” Cora said. “That was a good battle.”

Pivetta crossed up Vazquez with a high fastball three pitches later, and the ball deflected off the catcher’s glove before rolling a few feet behind him. Freddy Galvis broke for the plate and Pivetta charged in to cover, catching a flip from Vazquez and crunching Galvis with a tag. The initial call of out was upheld after the Orioles challenged, and the Red Sox had escaped.

Red Sox starter Nick Pivetta, right, tags out the Orioles' Freddy Galvis, center, trying to score on a as catcher Christian Vazquez looks on during the third inning. “It was my mistake to begin with,” Pivetta said. “I actually crossed up Vazquez. Fortunately, we got lucky — he was able to make a really great play and I was able to get there quick.”

What followed was Boston extending a week-long hammering of both the Rays and Baltimore. The Red Sox have been rampant during this six-game winning streak, enjoying a plus-28 run differential. Boston has scored at least five times in each game — it enjoyed no such extended stretches last season.

Even the bumpy moments seemed less severe. Three-run homers by Maikel Franco and Trey Mancini ate into Boston’s 10-1 lead, but Martinez immediately restored order in the top of the eighth with his third homer of the afternoon. That particular rocket to deep center was followed by a two-run blast from Rafael Devers, giving him four round-trippers in the series.

“Everything is going great over here,” Devers said through translator Bryan Almonte. “The vibes here have been great. Everybody is behind each other and we’re all just having fun as a group.”

Martinez and Devers accounted for just the fourth time in franchise history one Red Sox player hit three home runs and at least one other hit two home runs in the same game. Nomar Garciaparra and Manny Ramirez turned the trick most recently in a 22-4 smashing of Tampa Bay in July 2002. Bobby Doerr went deep three times while Ted Williams and Walt Dropo each cracked a pair as Boston laid a 29-4 thumping on the St. Louis Browns in June 1950.

“I’ll say it right now — so what, we’ve won six in a row,” Martinez said. “There are still a lot more to go. Don’t get too high. Don’t get too low. Just keep going.”

The Red Sox count four come-from-behind wins during their current streak — they enjoyed just two such victories among their 24 last season. Boston’s pitching was so poor it left little hope for the lineup to keep pace. There certainly would seem to be a different feeling in evidence as the club enters its four-game series at Minnesota next week.

* MassLive.com

J.D. Martinez crushes 3 homers, Boston Red Sox beat Orioles to win sixth straight; Rafael Devers homers twice, Alex Verdugo once

Christopher Smith

Cold symptoms prevented J.D. Martinez from playing Saturday. COVID protocols required him to test negative twice before Sunday’s game.

The joint COVID-19 Health and Safety Committee cleared him to play about an hour before the series finale in Baltimore — and just in time to put on a power show.

Martinez went 4-for-6 with three homers, four RBIs and four runs.

The Red Sox won 14-9 over the Orioles in Baltimore for their sixth straight victory. The club flies to Minnesota this evening and will play four games against the Twins beginning Monday.

Martinez has hit at least one extra-base hit in all eight games he has played in 2021. He has a nine-game extra-base hitting streak dating back to 2020, tying a franchise record with David Ortiz, Bill Mueller, and Ted Williams.

Alex Verdugo and Martinez smashed back-to-back opposite-field home runs in the third inning to put Boston ahead 4-0.

Verdugo hit a three-run blast against Orioles starter Jorge López that traveled 400 feet to left field. Martinez’s solo homer went 372 feet to right field.

Martinez again went deep to right-center field in the sixth inning to put Boston ahead 10-1.

His third homer was his longest. He crushed it 430 feet to center field, putting Boston ahead 11-7 in the eighth.

The DH is 17-for-36 (.472 batting average) with five home runs, seven doubles, 16 RBIs and 10 runs in eight games.

Devers goes deep twice

Rafael Devers blasted two homers Sunday. He hit four homers in three games in Baltimore. He crushed his first one 424 feet to center field. It was a three-run shot to put Boston ahead 8-1 in the fifth.

Devers then hit a two-run homer 439 feet in the eighth to give the Red Sox a 13-7 lead.

Pivetta improves to 2-0 with a 3.27 ERA

Red Sox starter Nick Pivetta earned his second victory in two starts. He allowed four runs in 6 innings. He pitched pretty well until giving up a three-run homer to Maikel Franco in the sixth.

Pivetta maxed out at 97.1 mph and his 57 four-seam averaged 94.9 mph, per Baseball Savant. He also mixed in 26 sliders, 17 knuckle-curves and one changeup.

His 101 pitches is the highest number of pitches thrown by a Red Sox starting pitcher this year.

Boston Red Sox notebook: J.D. Martinez jokes Alex Cora told Rafael Devers which pitch was coming right before 439-foot homer

Christopher Smith

Rafael Devers crushed a 439-foot two-run homer in the eighth Sunday to give the Red Sox a 13-7 lead over the Orioles, then J.D. Martinez joked with the third baseman inside the dugout.

Red Sox manager Alex Cora had gone out to the field during Devers’ at-bat to check to see if he was OK for some reason.

“The next pitch he hits is a homer,” Martinez said. “I was like, ‘What? Did Alex tell you what was coming or something? Because the next one you put it 450.’”

The Red Sox won 14-9 in Baltimore to post their sixth straight victory.

Devers bashed two home runs Sunday. He homered four times in the three-game series sweep.

He also played strong defense. He ranged far to his right to make a play on a grounder down the line with the bases loaded Saturday, keeping the Red Sox within a run in the eighth inning. He jumped to his right to snare a 103.6 mph liner off Maikel Franco’s bat during the second inning Sunday. Devers then fired across the diamond to double DJ Stewart off first base.

“Defense is very important for him,” Cora said. “He takes his defense to the batter’s box. He needs to understand that he will make mistakes. That’s part of the game. He’s locked in defensively, which for him, it makes him at peace with the game. He doesn’t want to let his teammates down. ... His defense when it’s going this way, it eases him. He’s at ease with the game and great things happen.”

Pivetta’s play at the plate

Red Sox starter Nick Pivetta improved to 2-0 with a 3.27 ERA in two starts. He allowed four runs in 6 innings. He pitched pretty well until giving up a three-run homer to Maikel Franco in the sixth.

Pivetta maxed out at 97.1 mph and his 57 four-seam fastballs averaged 94.9 mph, per Baseball Savant. He also mixed in 26 sliders, 17 knuckle-curves and one changeup.

Pivetta made a nice play at the plate after he crossed up catcher Christian Vazquez in the third inning with two outs. Freddy Galvis ran home from third base after the ball got by Vazquez. But Vazquez quickly retrieved it and threw to Pivetta covering home for the final out.

“I was running in really, really hard,” Pivetta said. “When I heard the runner was coming from third, I just tried to get my body in front of the plate and beat him there. And get my legs in front so I could kind of block the plate the best I could ... I believe the rule is if the ball takes you into the plate, you can block it. So I just wanted to make sure that I got there, put myself in a good position.”

Cordero off to strong start

Cora has used left-handed hitter as a platoon player so far. All five of Cordero’s starts have been against right-handed starting pitchers.

Cordero has one hit in one at-bat against a southpaw this season.

“Obviously that’s something I’m continuing to work on — hitting against left-handers,” Cordero said through translator Bryan Almonte. “That’s something I know I need to improve on. But that’s what I’m putting in the work for — in order for when those situations come, to be able to contribute in that way as well.”

Cordero delivered an important pinch-hit single in Saturday’s win. He came off the bench to smash a hit to right field in the ninth inning, putting runners at the corners with one out. The Red Sox then tied the game and won in extra innings.

The 26-year-old left fielder, who Boston acquired in the trade, is 5-for-17 (.294) with two doubles, three RBIs, one walk and six strikeouts in his career as a pinch hitter.

“I’m always ready. I’m always watching film and trying to stay ready during the game as well,” Cordero said. “So whenever the moment comes, and I’ve got to get up there to bat, I’m certainly comfortable in doing so.”

Cordero has impressed so far. He had an infield single Sunday. He is 7-for-21 (.333) with two doubles.

“I love the coaching staff. I love the players here. It’s been great being here with this club because as you all know, I grew up a Red Sox fan. So being able to play for this organization is a dream come true. I feel great. I’m very comfortable where I’m at right now. And it’s a good feeling to be able to be a part of this.”

Cordero grew up watching David Ortiz, Pedro Martinez, Manny Ramirez and J.D. Drew.

Starter workloads

No Red Sox starter had thrown more than 92 pitches in a game before Nick Pivetta threw 101 pitches Sunday. Cora is trying to protect his starters during a tough April that includes just two days off. The Red Sox are in the midst of stretch in which they play 16 games in 16 days.

“Right away that postponement Opening Day put us in a bad spot,” Cora said. “We don’t have too many off days. ... We have to grind but have to be careful, too, (not) to overuse the bullpen. There have been some games that we were up 7-0 and we ended up using (Adam) Ottavino and that’s not good either. So we’ll take care of them for a little bit. Obviously it’s not perfect but we’ve done this before in ‘18 and ‘19. What we sacrifice now is going to pay off later on.”

Cora said usually around the first week of May he begins to let his starters go deeper.

“We might need a few longer ones this week because of where we’re at schedule-wise,” Cora said.

Red Sox vs. Twins starting pitching matchups

Monday: LHP Martín Pérez (0-0, 5.40) vs. LHP J.A. Happ (0-0, 2.25)

Tuesday: RHP Nathan Eovaldi (1-1, 1.46) vs. RHP Kenta Maeda (1-0, 2.61)

Wednesday: LHP Eduardo Rodriguez (1-0, 5.40) vs. RHP José Berríos (2-0, 1.54)

Thursday: RHP Garrett Richards (0-1, 10.29) vs. RHP Michael Pineda (1-0, 1.64)

J.D. Martinez status: Boston Red Sox DH reinstated from COVID-related IL; Michael Chavis optioned

Christopher Smith

Martinez was reinstated from the COVID-related IL. He will play Sunday. He’s in the starting lineup as the DH. He will bat third.

Michael Chavis was optioned to the alternate training site.

But Chavis will remain with the team on the road trip as a member of the taxi squad.

Martinez tested negative for COVID twice to be cleared. He took both a rapid and PCR test after experiencing cold-like symptoms before Saturday’s game.

The Red Sox and Orioles play at 1:05 p.m. Boston is trying for a three-game sweep.

Less than an hour and a half remains before first pitch and the Red Sox have yet to finalize a lineup. That’s because they are waiting on the joint COVID committee to clear J.D. Martinez.

The Orioles and Red Sox will wrap up their three-game series in Baltimore at 1:05 p.m.

“We’re still waiting,” Red Sox manager Alex Cora said. “We should know in a little bit. We do feel confidence that he will play today but we still have to wait.”

The Red Sox placed Martinez on the COVID-related IL Saturday because of cold-like symptoms and recalled Michael Chavis from the taxi squad.

Martinez experienced the symptoms yesterday. The slugger is required to test negative for COVID twice before being able to play again. He took both a rapid and PCR test.

The joint COVID-19 Health and Safety Committee must clear him. The committee includes representatives from MLB and the MLB Players Association as well as two physicians.

Martinez has been Boston’s top hitter this season. He is 13-for-30 (.433 batting average) with a .469 on- base percentage, .867 , two home runs, seven doubles, 12 RBIs, six runs, two walks and six strikeouts.

Boston Red Sox’s J.D. Martinez had ‘frustrating’ day stuck in hotel, returned Sunday to hit 3 homers despite ‘ridiculously high’ pollen

Christopher Smith

J.D. Martinez spent most of Saturday stuck in the team hotel in Baltimore because of cold symptoms that likely resulted from his allergies and asthma. MLB protocols required him to undergo both a rapid and PCR test to rule out COVID.

“Frustrating,” Martinez said. “I guess it’s part of it. Everyone’s trying to take the precautions and everything. But at the same time, it’s a little frustrating. It’s human nature. You’re going to feel a little thing here and there. It’s kind of the world we’re living in right now where every little thing everybody thinks is COVID. So it was frustrating obviously not being able to play yesterday. But I know we did everything we can to have me back today.”

The Red Sox certainly were glad to have him back Sunday.

Martinez was placed on the COVID-related injured list for Saturday’s game. The joint COVID-19 Health and Safety Committee cleared him to play about an hour before the series finale in Baltimore on Sunday — just in time for him to mash.

Martinez went 4-for-6 with three homers, four RBIs and four runs to lead Boston 14-9 over the Orioles. The Red Sox have won six straight games and Martinez has been their top hitter. The DH is 17-for-36 (.472 batting average) with five home runs, seven doubles, 16 RBIs and 10 runs in eight games.

He is slugging 1.083.

“I still felt (it Sunday) with my asthma and everything and with the allergies here,” he said. “The pollen has been like ridiculously high the past few days. It’s like a 10 out of 10, which I think is what’s really messing me up. And my lungs are just always sensitive to like sudden changes and stuff just because I have pretty bad asthma. Besides that, I felt OK. Obviously it was still bugging me. It still is. Kind of ready to get on the plane and go somewhere else.”

Martinez has hit at least one extra-base hit in all eight games he has played in 2021. He has a nine-game extra-base hitting streak dating back to 2020, tying a franchise record with David Ortiz, Bill Mueller, Butch Hobson and Ted Williams.

Martinez was asked to explain the feeling he has at the plate during this type of hot streak.

“Honestly, for me I don’t even notice it,” Martinez said. “I really try not to. You guys know how I am. ... I think the moment you’re aware of it, you’re no longer in it. So I try not to be aware of it and just try to focus on the small tasks and focus on my game-plan off certain pitchers and what I’m trying to do. That’s how I kind of control the whole thing.”

J.D. Martinez back in Boston Red Sox lineup after one game on COVID-related IL; Franchy Cordero in left, Marwin Gonzalez at second

Christopher Smith

J.D. Martinez is back in the Boston Red Sox lineup Sunday after he spent one game on the COVID-related injured list.

Martinez experienced cold-like symptoms before Saturday’s game. He took rapid and PCR coronavirus tests and tested negative. He was reinstated before Sunday’s game.

Martinez will serve as the DH and bat third.

The Red Sox will try for a three-game sweep of the Baltimore Orioles and their sixth straight victory. First pitch is at 1:05 p.m. in Baltimore.

Franchy Cordero is back in the lineup in left field after a big pinch hit during the ninth inning Saturday. Marwin Gonzalez will play second base.

Red Sox righty Nick Pivetta (1-0, 0.00) will start opposite Orioles righty Jorge López (0-1, 7.71).

Pivetta hurled 5 scoreless innings in his 2021 debut last Monday. He allowed two hits and four walks while striking out four to lead the Red Sox 11-2 over the Rays.

López lost his first start last Monday against the Yankees. He allowed four runs, three hits (one homer) and three walks while striking out five in 4 ⅔ innings.

Rafael Devers, who homered in the first two games of this series, is 2-for-2 with two homers, four RBIs and one walk in his career against López.

Boston Red Sox lineup:

1. Kiké Hernández CF

2. Alex Verdugo RF

3. J.D. Martinez DH

4. SS

5. Rafael Devers 3B

6. Christian Vázquez C

7. Marwin Gonzalez 2B

8. Bobby Dalbec 1B

9. Franchy Cordero LF

Baltimore Orioles lineup:

1. CF

2. Trey Mancini 1B

3. Anthony Santander RF

4. DH

5. DJ Stewart LF

6. Maikel Franco 3B

7. Río Ruíz 2B

8. C

9. Freddy Galvis SS

Starting pitchers: Red Sox righty Nick Pivetta (1-0, 0.00) vs. Orioles righty Jorge López (0-1, 7.71)

Boston Red Sox’s Alex Cora received first COVID vaccine shot, expects at least 85% of team to get vaccinated

Christopher Smith

Manager Alex Cora and some members of the Red Sox coaching staff received their first dose of the COVID-19 vaccine before returning from spring training in Fort Myers to Boston for the regular season.

“I got it right before we hopped on the plane,” Cora said Sunday morning. “So I’m waiting for my second one. And there’s some coaches who have had it already.”

No players have received the vaccine yet.

“But we’re working on that. We’re talking about it and hopefully, by the time we go home (from this road trip), we can get this ball rolling and we can get some of them vaccinated,” Cora said.

Cora expects at least 85% of team personnel to receive the vaccination, which would allow for some coronavirus restrictions to be relaxed.

“The way it’s going, I do believe we will (get to 85%) but you never know. People might change their mind,” Cora said.

The Red Sox play in Baltimore on Sunday, then play their next four games in Minnesota. They will fly home Thursday evening.

“Looking forward to the guys to make a decision and do what they have to do,” Cora said. “Hopefully, we can get this thing going as normal as possible.”

MLB and the players union sent a memo to teams earlier this month telling them that COVID protocols will be relaxed if 85% of players and field staff are vaccinated, per the .

The Red Sox medical staff will make a formal presentation to players to provide them information about the vaccine.

“Obviously they (Red Sox players) know about other teams that are doing it,” Cora said. “I hate to see it as a competitive advantage because they’re doing it for the right reasons. ... At the same time, if you want it to be as normal as possible, it’s there. You saw the rules. You saw the memo. You know what it’s all about. So I know they’ve been talking about it. But we’ll make a formal presentation and then they’ll decide.”

Boston Red Sox vs. Minnesota Twins preview: TV schedule, pitching probables, key stories (April 12- 15)

Chris Cotillo

The Red Sox won their sixth straight game Sunday afternoon, beating the Orioles, 14-9, and finishing off their second straight series sweep to improve to 6-3 on the season. They’re now in for a bit of a challenge in Minneapolis, where they’ll face the reigning AL Central champion Minnesota Twins for a four-game series. Here’s a preview:

Boston Red Sox (6-3) vs. Minnesota Twins (5-4) · Target Field · Minneapolis, MN SERIES SCHEDULE (and TV information):

Mon. April 12, 2:10 p.m. ET -- NESN / MLB Network (out-of-market)

Tue. April 13, 2:10 p.m. ET -- NESN

Wed. April 14, 2:10 p.m. ET -- NESN

Thu. April 15, 1:10 p.m. ET -- NESN / MLB Network (out-of-market)

HOW TO WATCH:

Mon. April 12, 2:10 p.m. ET -- NESN / MLB Network (out-of-market) (Channel finder: Comcast Xfinity, Verizon Fios, Spectrum/Charter, Optimum/Altice, DIRECTV, Dish, AT&T U verse, fuboTV and Sling) · Live stream: fuboTV, ESPN+ , MLB.tv (out of market)

Tue. April 13, 2:10 p.m. ET -- NESN (Channel finder: Comcast Xfinity, Verizon Fios, Spectrum/Charter, Optimum/Altice, DIRECTV, Dish, AT&T U verse, fuboTV and Sling) · Live stream: fuboTV, ESPN+, MLB.tv (out of market)

Wed. April 14, 2:10 p.m. ET -- NESN (Channel finder: Comcast Xfinity, Verizon Fios, Spectrum/Charter, Optimum/Altice, DIRECTV, Dish, AT&T U verse, fuboTV and Sling) · Live stream: fuboTV, MLB.tv (out of market)

Thu. April 15, 1:10 p.m. ET -- NESN / MLB Network (out-of-market) (Channel finder: Comcast Xfinity, Verizon Fios, Spectrum/Charter, Optimum/Altice, DIRECTV, Dish, AT&T U verse, fuboTV and Sling) · Live stream: fuboTV, MLB.tv (out of market)

KNOW YOUR OPPONENT:

For the first time in 10 years, the Twins clinched back-to-back division titles in 2019 and 2020, going 101- 61 in 2019 and following that up with a 36-24 record in the abbreviated season last year. Despite that success, the club was swept in the postseason in both years, losing three straight to the Yankees in 2019 and two straight to the Astros last year. Minnesota has now -- unbelievably -- lost 18 postseason games in a row, with the club’s last playoff win coming in Game 1 of the 2004 ALDS.

The Twins made a series of moves to improve their roster over the winter, signing Andrelton Simmons (1 year, $10.5M), lefty J.A. Happ (1 year, $8M), reliever Alex Colomé (1 year, $6.25M with option) and righties Matt Shoemaker and Hansel Robles (both got 1 year, $2M deals). Minnesota also re- signed (1 year, $13M) while losing a bunch of key contributors (Jake Odorizzi, Eddie Rosario, Trevor May, Tyler Clippard, Rich Hill, Marwin Gonzalez and ).

Minnesota is off to a fine start in 2021, totaling a 5-4 record through three series. The Twins took two of three from the Brewers and Tigers to start the year before dropping two of three at home against the Mariners over the weekend.

Led by Rhode Island native Rocco Baldelli, the Twins are once again expected to contend in their division and are considered by many to be the favorite.

PITCHING PROBABLES:

Monday, 2:10 p.m. -- LHP Martín Pérez (0-0, 5.40 ERA) vs. LHP J.A. Happ (0-0, 2.25 ERA)

Tuesday, 2:10 p.m. -- RHP Nathan Eovaldi (1-1, 1.46 ERA) vs. RHP Kenta Maeda (1-0, 2.61 ERA)

Wednesday, 2:10 p.m. -- LHP Eduardo Rodriguez (1-0, 5.40 ERA) vs. RHP José Berríos (2-0, 1.54 ERA)

Thursday, 1:10 p.m. -- RHP Garrett Richards (0-1, 10.29 ERA) vs. RHP Michael Pineda (1-0, 1.64 ERA)

THREE SOX TO WATCH:

J.D. Martinez

Martinez, who hit three homers in Sunday’s win, is off to a ridiculous start in 2021, hitting .472 (17-for-36) with five homers, seven doubles, 16 RBIs and a 1.583 OPS in eight games. He leads the majors in RBIs and is tied with three other players (Minnesota’s Byron Buxton, Colorado’s Ryan McMahon and Cincinnati’s Tyler Naquin) in home runs.

Hunter Renfroe

Renfroe hasn’t played since Wednesday afternoon due to general soreness, but it’s expected he’ll be in the lineup Monday afternoon against lefty J.A. Happ. After an impressive spring training, Renfroe has gotten off to a dismal start in his first year with the Red Sox, hitting .158 (3-for-19) with four strikeouts in five games.

Eduardo Rodriguez

Rodriguez, who got the win in his emotional return to the mound in Baltimore on Thursday, will make his second start of the year Wednesday afternoon opposite Twins ace José Berríos. With one outing under him, look for Rodriguez to try to get deeper into the ballgame than he did against the Orioles.

SERIES NOTES:

With a win Sunday, the Sox became the first team to open a season with a losing streak of 3+ games and immediately follow it with a win streak of 6+ games since the 2005 Mets (started 0-5, won next 6).

Red Sox utility man Marwin Gonzalez spent the last two years with the Twins. Lefty Martín Pérez pitched for them in 2019.

Saturday began a stretch of 16 straight days with a game for the Red Sox... Included in that stretch is the club’s longest homestand of the season (10 games).

Thirteen of the Sox’ first 17 games are day games, including all four in Minnesota.

The Red Sox and Twins didn’t play in 2020 because Major League Baseball instituted a regional schedule to limit travel due to the COVID-19 pandemic. In 2019, the teams were 3-3 against each other with the Red Sox taking two of three at Target Field in June and the Twins returning the favor at Fenway Park in September.

UP NEXT:

After four days in Minnesota, the Red Sox will fly back to Boston for a 10-game homestand against the White Sox, Blue Jays and Mariners. The club won’t play another game on the road until April 27 when they face the Mets at Citi Field. Here’s what’s ahead:

Fri. 4/16 - Mon. 4/19: vs. White Sox (4)

Tue. 4/20 - Wed. 4/21: vs. Blue Jays (2)

Thu. 4/22 - Sun. 4/25: vs. Mariners (4)

Mon. 4/26: OFF DAY

* RedSox.com

Role reversal: Sox dominate O's at the plate

Ian Browne

A week after nothing seemed right for the Red Sox, who stumbled to a season-opening, three-game sweep at the hands of the Orioles, everything is suddenly well in their world.

And it isn’t all about J.D. Martinez, who continued his ridiculous surge to start the season by mauling three more homers to lead the Red Sox to a 14-9 victory over the Orioles on Sunday.

That makes two straight sweeps for the Sox en route to a six-game winning streak -- which is double their longest streak from their non-contending 2020 season.

In sole possession of first place in the American League East, a distinction they hadn’t held at any point since 2018, Boston is showing some encouraging signs across the board coming out of the gate.

Here are three non Martinez-related takeaways from the three-game sweep in Baltimore.

Devers dialed in

Remember when the slow start by Rafael Devers was an early-season narrative? Through the first two series of the season, the lefty masher was 2-for-19 without an extra-base hit. He had also made a couple of shaky defensive plays that helped lead to losses in the first series against the Orioles.

Everything changed this weekend at Camden Yards, where Devers launched four homers over three games, capped by two prodigious blasts on Sunday. The first was a a three-run missile (108.8-mph exit velocity, projected distance of 424 feet). The second one soared out of the yard at 110.8 mph and traveled a projected 439 feet.

“I feel good, obviously,” said Devers. “A couple changes here and there, but like I always tell you guys, I still maintain the same approach I do every single game. Now things are falling in my favor. It feels good to contribute as much as I am right now.”

Devers also made two tremendous defensive plays in the series, including Sunday’s snare of a line drive, which he fired across the diamond to double off DJ Stewart.

“Defensively, he's putting in his work,” said Red Sox manager Alex Cora. “He's doing it. He's staying with the program, same principles we worked in Spring Training, we're doing it on the road, we're doingit at home, and that's going to help him. He's in a great place right now.”

Pivetta gets dirty, equals Wakefield

Nick Pivetta’s performance was much better than his final stat line (6 innings, 4 ER). The righty was in complete command with a 10-1 lead before he served up an inconsequential three-run homer to Trey Mancini in the sixth.

In his four starts for the Red Sox, dating back to last September, Pivetta is 4-0 with a 2.57 ERA. The last player to win his first four starts in a Red Sox uniform was knuckleballer Tim Wakefield, who did it in 1995.

While Pivetta’s pitching was impressive on Sunday, his grit was just as noteworthy. On what was nearly a passed ball for Christian Vázquez, the ball didn’t bounce as far off the catcher’s glove as baserunner Freddy Galvis anticipated. Meanwhile, Pivetta literally threw his body in front of Galvis and made the tag- out at the plate on a bang-bang play.

“It was my mistake to begin with,” said Pivetta. “I actually crossed up [Vázquez] and we got lucky, he was able to make a great play. I saw the ball was close. When I heard the runner was coming from third, I just tried to get my body in front of the plate and beat him there and get my legs in front so I could block the plate as best I could. I believe the rule is if the ball takes you to the plate, you can block it, so I just wanted to make sure I got there and put myself in good position.”

1-2 punch

The top-of-the-order duo of Kiké Hernández and Alex Verdugo is starting to provide a significant spark, setting up the red-hot Martinez with many RBI opportunities.

Hernández and Verdugo combined for four runs, four hits and four RBIs on Sunday. Verdugo was a tone- setter, hitting a three-run shot to left-center that snapped a scoreless tie in the third. Martinez immediately followed with the first of his three homers. Hernández was in the middle of that rally, belting a single to left to set up the Verdugo homer.

Formerly teammates with the Dodgers, both have more prominent roles in Boston.

“I think it’s like a perfect thing,” said Verdugo. “You have Kiké who can lead off the game, and he can go after the first pitch and potentially hit it out. Or you can have it where he’s battling a 3-2 count and spoils a pitch, or gets a walk, or gets a base hit.

"If he swings and gets the first pitch out or whatever, I can go up there and have an [extended] at-bat. I can see pitches. And also vice versa. He goes up there and has a 3-2, long at-bat, I can go up there and potentially jump on the first pitch that I see because maybe the pitcher wants to get ahead and throw one right there.”

'Locked in' Martinez adds 3 HRs to hot streak

Ian Browne

There is hot. Then there is boiling. And after that, there is this rarified type of steaming that describes J.D. Martinez’s current state in the batter's box.

The No. 3 hitter for the Red Sox can basically be described as "man on fire."

Martinez, just a day after he had to be scratched from the lineup due to precautionary COVID-19 protocols, took his searing stretch to another level on Sunday.

The right-handed slugger hammered three home runs -- the first two to the opposite field in right, and the capper to his trifecta over the wall in center.

This was the third game of Martinez’s career with three homers or more -- and each has happened for a different team.

Martinez (Tigers, D-Backs, Red Sox) joins a distinguished club that includes just four other players who notched three-homer games for three teams. The others are , Dave Kingman, and Johnny Mize.

Backed by Martinez, the Red Sox rolled to a 14-9 victory over the Orioles that really wasn’t that close, completing a three-game sweep that ran their winning streak to six games.

There is data that supports that Martinez isn’t just on an obligatory hot streak to open the season. This is special stuff.

Consider this: Martinez’s 12 extra-base hits in his first eight games of the season are tied with Dante Bichette (1994 Rockies) as the most in the modern era (since 1900).

So, yes, in 122 seasons of baseball, Martinez has achieved something done just once before to start a season.

This is the type of zone that would send most hitters racing to the bat rack. However, Martinez is much more laser-like in his approach.

“Honestly, for me I don't even notice it,” Martinez said. “I really try not to. You guys know how I am. I repeat the same things over and over to you guys. I think the moment you’re aware of it, you're no longer in it, so I try to not be aware of it and just try to focus on the small tasks, and focus on my game plan off certain pitchers and what I’m trying to do, how I kind of control the whole thing.”

However, Martinez is human, and he admits he did allow himself to go out of his element in his final at-bat of the day, in an attempt to become the first player in history to have two four-homer games in a career. Martinez had done that previously for the D-backs on Sept. 4, 2017, against the Dodgers.

But Martinez whiffed on a 3-2 pitch by O’s reliever Paul Fry that was low and a tad out of the strike zone. Call it a heat check.

“I was swinging,” said Martinez. “In that moment I was like, 'I really don't think he's going to throw me a strike, but I have to take the chance, just to at least foul it off if it's a really good pitch. Hopefully he hangs something.'”

When the Red Sox play at Target Field against the Twins on Monday, Martinez has a chance to make history and become the first player to have at least one extra-base hit in the first nine games of a season. On Sunday, he joined A-Rod (2007) and Sandy Alomar (1997) as the only players to do that in the first eight games of a season.

His extra-base hit streak is actually nine, when you go back to the final game of last season, putting him in a tie with David Ortiz (2004), Bill Mueller (2003), Butch Hobson (1977) and Ted Williams (1939) as the only players in team history to do that.

Remember when Martinez’s brutal 2020 season (.213/.291/.387, 7 homers) in 211 at-bats was a big storyline heading into ’21?

Martinez (.472/.500/1.083) is making that memory as distant as the home runs he is hitting. By the way, he is only two homers away from tying his total from last season.

“He’s locked in, you can tell,” said Red Sox manager Alex Cora. “He is walking around talking hitting. This is a guy I saw in ‘18 and ‘19, he has an idea of what he wants to do. He doesn’t deviate from his process. I know he talked about last year and he’s on a mission to prove people wrong, but it was only 60 games. He was one month away from getting his numbers right. Right now, he’s locked in and I’m glad he’s swinging the bat the way he is.”

When Martinez has his opposite-field stroke going, it is a sign that he is firing on all cylinders, something that was never the case last year.

Martinez's recent hot streak serves as a reminder of how much of an impact player he is, and what a difference his return to dominance can mean for the Red Sox.

The Red Sox will happily ride the wave Martinez is creating with his bat.

“It's been fun,” Martinez said. “It's a great group here. I like our offense. I think the guys are doing what they know how to do.”

Currently, nobody is doing it better than Martinez.

* ESPN.com

Boston Red Sox slugger J.D. Martinez on a mission to leave 2020's struggles behind

David Schoenfield

J.D. Martinez suffered through a miserable 2020 season. He hit .213. He ranked 129th out of 142 qualified hitters in weighted on-base average (wOBA). He finished with more strikeouts than hits. It was a shocking season for a hitter who ranked second in the majors in wOBA from 2017 to 2019, behind only .

He also made one thing clear in spring training: "I'm kind of tired of being judged on two months," he told WEEI.com's Rob Bradford late in March.

Martinez is making an early statement in 2021. He hit three home runs in Sunday's 14-9 win for the Boston Red Sox over the Baltimore Orioles and has started the season with extra-base hits in all eight games he has played -- including seven doubles and five home runs. Martinez is the hottest hitter on the planet. Oh, and after Red Sox Nation and pundits were ready to bury the Red Sox after an 0-3 start in which the Orioles outscored them 18-5, Boston has won six in a row.

"He's on a mission to prove people wrong," manager Alex Cora said after Sunday's win. "It was only 60 games. He was one month away from getting his numbers right and now he's locked in and I'm glad he's swinging the bat the way he is."

Against the Orioles on Sunday, his three home runs came off three different pitchers:

• Third inning: 1-2 knuckle-curve from Jorge Lopez, 372 feet to right field (105.2 mph exit velo)

• Sixth inning: 1-2 from Mac Sceroler, 382 feet to right-center (102.4 exit velo)

• Eighth inning: 0-2 changeup from Tyler Wells, 430 feet to center field (105.7 exit velo)

Granted, that trio of pitchers isn't exactly headed to the 2021 All-Star Game. I hadn't even heard of Sceroler and Wells until now, as Sceroler was making just his second major league appearance and Wells his fourth. Still, all three home runs came with two strikes, a good sign considering Martinez hit .171 with two strikes a year ago.

From the cool factoid department, Martinez also became the fifth player to hit three home runs in a game with three different teams:

• Martinez (Tigers, Diamondbacks, Red Sox) • Mark Teixeira (Rangers, Braves, Yankees) • Alex Rodriguez (Mariners, Rangers, Yankees) • Dave Kingman (Mets, Cubs, A's) • Johnny Mize (Cardinals, Giants, Yankees)

Martinez's eight straight games with an extra-base hit to start a season ties the major league record held by Alex Rodriguez (2007) and Sandy Alomar Jr. (1997). It's the volume of extra-base hits that is so impressive, however, as Martinez is hitting .472/.500/1.083:

OK, the Chris Shelton reference is a reminder that not all hot starts are going to last, but Martinez has that long track record of being one of the best hitters in the game -- and now he has his beloved in-game video back to study.

That was offered as one reason for Martinez's struggles in 2020, when in-game video was disallowed under the guise of pandemic protocols. He also had an ankle issue he played through that might have affected his swing. Whatever the reason, he admitted his troubles were self-inflicted.

"I think I've got a little bit of a chip on my shoulder," Martinez said when he reported to spring training in February. "I've always played with that, I've always played with that chip, having to prove people wrong my whole career. It kind of might have went away a little bit, but I think I've got it back a little bit now."

Martinez struggled most of spring training, however, leading to concerns that maybe he had just lost his swing overnight. Still, he's just 33, so it seemed a little early for that to happen. Cora pointed out Martinez finally got going late in camp, especially driving the ball to right field -- as he did on Sunday. Cora sent another message to Martinez in spring training, playing him quite a bit in the outfield instead of using him as just the designated hitter. While Martinez has started only one game in the outfield so far, it was perhaps a signal from Cora to remind Martinez to stay in shape.

Still, it's hard not to ignore the psychological comfort of being able go into the dugout or clubhouse between at-bats to check the iPad. Few hitters in the game study their swing as studiously as Martinez -- remember, he completely reconstructed his swing earlier in his career and was in the middle of that process when the Astros released him in spring training of 2014. Martinez signed with Detroit and has since had four 36-homer seasons, five .300 seasons and four 100-RBI seasons. And one big chip on his shoulder.

As for the Red Sox, their six-game win streak includes two extra-inning wins (12 innings over the Rays and 10 innings over the Orioles on Saturday) and they've hit a robust .332 with 53 runs those six games. Rafael Devers has homered in three straight games, Xander Bogaerts is hitting .375 and Christian Vazquez is off to a hot start. For this Red Sox lineup to click like it has in past seasons, though, it needs Martinez to thump.

What remains to be seen is how good the pitching will be. Playing six of nine games against the Orioles doesn't really tell us much. This week's series against the Twins and White Sox will be a much tougher test. Nick Pivetta, who won Sunday's game with four runs over six innings, is a key member of the rotation. For now, the Red Sox are in first place -- it's early, of course, but that's a much better place to be after starting 3-9 and 6-13 in 2019 (and never really recovering) and then 6-18 in 2020.

* WEEI.com

J.D. Martinez cleared for return, in lineup for series finale

Rob Bradford

The Red Sox got good news just before Sunday's game against the Orioles: J.D. Martinez is back.

The designated hitter, who was placed on the COVID-19-related injured list Saturday, was reinstated to the active roster just prior to first pitch in the series finale at Camden Yards.

To make room for Martinez, Michael Chavis, who scored the game-winning run in the Red Sox' extra- inning victory Saturday, was optioned to the team's alternate site.

With Martinez back, the Red Sox lineup looks like this:

Kiké Hernández CF, Alex Verdugo RF, Martinez DH, Xander Bogaerts SS, Rafael Devers 3B, Christian Vázquez C, Marwin Gonzalez 2B, Bobby Dalbec 1B, Franchy Cordero LF. Nick Pivetta gets the start for the Sox.

Through seven games this season Martinez has hit .433 (13-for-30) with seven doubles, two home runs, and 12 RBI. Entering play today, the right-handed batter leads all major league players in extra-base hits (9) and ranks among American League leaders in slugging percentage (4th; .867), OPS (5th; 1.335), and batting average (6th). Dating back to last season, Martinez has hit safely in eight straight games. He recorded at least one extra-base hit in all of his team’s first seven games of the year, making him one of five players in MLB history to do so.

How the Red Sox' laundry cart celebration became a thing

Rob Bradford

Thirteen times.

That's how many instances this young baseball season the laundry cart has had to be put in place, loaded up and rolled through the Red Sox' dugout. It is also, not coincidentally, how many home runs Alex Cora's club has hit.

You hit a home run, you get a ride. Starting early September, it has been that simple for the Red Sox.

Sunday? Let's just say the hamper got a workout. There were six trips down the makeshift run, with J.D. Martinez serving as passenger for three of them.

"It's just fun," Martinez said after his three-home run day at Camden Yards. "It's just something stupid but fun. We enjoy it. Any little thing we can do to create some camaraderie with the guys and kind of bring everybody tighter and closer together, it's been fun. We get a new cart every park. This one was too deep. It was freaking really deep. I was like, you guys are going to have to carry me to get me out of this thing. We had to fill it up with towels."

Nobody said it was going to be seamless. But, nevertheless, it's a celebration that doesn't figure to be stopping any time soon.

So, how did the whole thing come about? Let , one of the first participants, explain ...

“It basically started in Tampa," the Red Sox infielder said while appearing on the Bradfo Sho podcast. "In the dugouts, they’re a little narrow, and because of the whole COVID stuff and all of the guidelines and whatnot, they were trying to get it to where if you used a towel or something to just toss the towel in like a laundry basket cart-type thing. So, some of the guys — because you don’t really think about this stuff when you’re playing — you use the towel, you wipe your face and you throw it (somewhere), you’re not thinking let me go walk down to the other end of the dugout and throw it in the laundry cart of whatever.

"So it was funny, actually, () was down at the end of the dugout just watching the game, taking his notes, taking in the game. And Tek turns around, and there was nothing in (the cart) and he says ‘What is this thing and why is it in the dugout?’ And everyone was like ‘Hmm, we don’t know.’ Because it took up like the last two or three spots at the end of the dugout, Tek finally looked at it and said we’ve got to get this thing out of here."

So, who are the true Godfathers of the exercise?

“It was (Kevin) Plawecki and Tek kind of together were just like ‘When someone hits a homer why don’t we throw them in the laundry cart, see how it goes. Use it for something.'

"As he’s rounding third I saw Plawecki kind of look at him and start pointing at him because we said ‘Today whoever hits the first homer, you’re going in the cart.’ So we didn’t know if Vazquez was going to just go in it or not. It honestly was like a coin toss, and he was cool about it, he’s smiling and we’re like ‘get in the cart, get in the cart."

* NBC Sports Boston

Locked-in J.D. Martinez sparks Red Sox' power surge vs. O's

Darren Hartwell

When it rains, it pours, and the Boston Red Sox unleashed a thunderstorm on the Baltimore Orioles on Sunday.

The Red Sox clobbered six home runs at Camden Yards -- including three from J.D. Martinez and two from Rafael Devers -- en route to a 14-9 win, which completed a series sweep and gave them six straight victories.

Boston has come a long way since getting shut out by Baltimore on Opening Day. How far, you ask?

Highlights: Homer-happy Red Sox complete sweep of O's Here are three observations from the Red Sox' latest win.

Locked-in J.D. Martinez does wonders for top of order

Martinez has been a man on fire out of the gate, putting a disappointing 2020 behind him with 16 hits, five home runs and 16 RBIs in his first eight games. To state the obvious, that's good news for the Red Sox -- in more ways than one.

While Martinez led Boston with three hits in the No. 3 hole, the other four batters atop the lineup -- Kike Hernandez, Alex Verdugo, Xander Bogaerts and Devers -- all tallied multiple hits. Martinez and Devers alone accounted for nine of the Red Sox' 13 RBIs, while the top five hitters drove in all of the team's runs.

Martinez looming in the No. 3 spot should mean more pitches to hit for Hernandez and Verdugo, as pitchers can't afford to walk either player ahead of Martinez.

The two former Dodgers have gotten off to slow starts at the plate in 2021, but if Martinez keeps raking, his hot bat could rub off on Boston's table-setters.

Red Sox starters have a tipping point in 2021

Nick Pivetta cruised through his first five innings at Camden Yards but faltered in the sixth, allowing a , a walk and a three-run home run to finish the day with four runs allowed in 6.0 innings.

If the Red Sox didn't have a healthy lead, Alex Cora might have pulled Pivetta after the fifth, which has been the limit for nearly every starter this season.

Nathan Eovaldi (seven innings against the Rays on April 7) is the only Boston starter to pitch into the seventh frame, while every other starter outside Eovaldi and Pivetta hasn't made it past the fifth inning.

That's the nature of today's game, and Cora doesn't want to tax his rotation this early in the season. But Boston could use a little more length out of its starters.

The Red Sox' real test begins Monday

So, it turns out the Orioles aren't that good. After laying an egg against Baltimore at Fenway Park, the Red Sox restored order by cleaning up against what should be one of MLB's worst teams this season.

Boston will have its hands full starting Monday in Minnesota, however. The Twins lead the American League Central at 6-3 and boast baseball's hottest hitter not named J.D. Martinez in center fielder Byron Buxton.

All five of their starters boast ERAs under 3.00, as well, which should put the Red Sox' hot bats to the test. If you're eager to see how Alex Cora's club plays against stiffer competition, you're about to get your wish.

J.D. Martinez has gone from unwanted to indispensable

John Tomase

The Red Sox did not want J.D. Martinez last year.

Despite what ownership might say about goals vs. mandates, dropping below the luxury tax threshold was their primary, secondary, and only motivation during the 2020 offseason, which culminated in the trade of .

Long before Betts jetted off to L.A., however, the Red Sox saw an opportunity to save roughly $20 million annually, but only if Martinez opted out of the final three years of his contract. He correctly read the market for designated hitters as grim and chose to stay put, a decision he repeated this winter.

Make no mistake: if Martinez had opted out either season, he'd be gone. Since chief baseball officer Chaim Bloom arrived to oversee a rebuild, the biggest contract the Red Sox have handed out is two years and $14 million for utilityman Kiké Hernández.

They weren't about to break the bank for a designated hitter, even one as talented as Martinez, and he surely knows it. He took the decision out of their hands, however, and it's a damn good thing.

In a 14-9 victory over the Orioles on Sunday, Martinez continued a start so torrid, there might soon be no parallels for it. Just hours after being cleared from COVID protocols with a cold, he slammed three homers as part of a 4-for-6 day that just cemented his place as the hottest hitter in the game.

"He's locked in, you can tell," said manager Alex Cora. "Walking around talking hitting. This is a guy I saw in '18 and '19, he has an idea of what he wants to do."

Martinez has appeared in eight games and recorded an extra-base hit in all of them, tying him with Alex Rodriguez and Sandy Alomar Jr. for the longest such streak to open a season, according to The Boston Globe's Alex Speier. He's hitting .472 with five homers, 16 RBIs, and an OPS of 1.583. Those numbers, needless to say, are insane.

They're also exactly what the Red Sox hoped they were paying for when they signed him to a five-year $110 million contract in 2018 -- a deal that already looks like one of the biggest bargains in franchise history.

After a lost 2020, Martinez insisted he would make amends. But after a so-so spring, it was hard to calibrate expectations. Since the opening bell, however, he has thrown one haymaker after another, and every power shot is landing.

"He said it, he wasn't ready (in 2020)," Cora said. "You can talk about video and all that, but I don't think he was physically ready for the season. Not that it caught him off guard, whatever reason he had, he admitted it and he put in work in the offseason. This guy, he's really good. He's a good hitter, he's great for his teammates, and I'm glad that he's hitting third for us."

Sunday's home runs went to right field, right field, and dead center. Martinez is a force from foul pole to foul pole, yanking fastballs into the left field corner and taking breaking balls over the right field fence. Always a clinician at the plate, he is as locked in as he has ever been, and that includes 29 home runs in just 62 games with the Diamondbacks in 2017.

"I wouldn't say that," Martinez countered. "That's a long shot away. If I get to 12 home runs this month, you can ask me that question."

When Martinez signed, the looming opt-outs made his Red Sox tenure look like it might be of the short- term mercenary variety. But then the DH market tanked and the pandemic struck and he decided it made financial sense to stay in Boston.

The Red Sox are reaping the rewards of that decision, even though there was a time when they probably would've preferred that he opt out.

Those days are gone, because now he looks indispensable. Now he's not going anywhere.

* BostonSportsJournal.com

Final: Red Sox 14, Orioles 9

Sean McAdam

Fueled by the long ball, the Red Sox’ big turnaround continued Sunday as they erupted for six homers to bash the Baltimore Orioles, 14-9, for their sixth straight victory.

J.D. Martinez belted three homers and Rafael Devers added to of his own as the Sox pounded out 17 hits, including half for extra-bases. The big game for Martinez happened hours after he was reinstated from the COVID-19 related IL list. The top five hitters in the Red Sox lineup each had multi-hit games.

Nick Pivetta picked up his first win of the season and became the first Red Sox starter this season to reach 100 pitches in a start.

The Sox have played three series thus far and have been swept in one and swept the other two.

WHO: Red Sox (5-3) vs. Baltimore Orioles (4-4) WHEN: 1:05 p.m. WHERE: Oriole Park at Camden Yards SERIES TO DATE: Red Sox 2-0 SEASON SERIES TO DATE: Orioles 3-2 STARTING PITCHERS: RHP Nick Pivetta (1-0, 0.00) vs. RHP Jorge Lopez (0-1, 7.71) TV/RADIO: NESN; WEEI-FM

LINEUPS

RED SOX

Hernandez CF Verdugo RF Martinez DH Bogaerts SS Devers 3B Vazquez C Gonzalez 2B Dalbec 1B Cordero LF

ORIOLES

Mullins CF Mancini 1B Santander RF Mountcastle DH Stewart LF Franco 3B Ruiz 2B Severino C Galvis SS

IN-GAME OBSERVATIONS:

T8: Devers goes deep again, once more to right-center, giving him two homers and five RBI. Six homers on the day for the Sox.

T8: Have a day, why don’t you, J.D. Martinez? Booming solo homer to straightaway center on an 0-and-2 pitch, giving him a three-homer, four RBI game. Wow.

B7: Fine doubled.

B7: Austin Brice deserves a massive fine in Kangaroo Court for walking the first guy he faced, the No. 9 hitter, with a six-run lead.

B6: Pivetta makes one of his rare mistakes of the afternoon, hanging a breaking ball to Maikel Franco, who sends a pea into the left field seats for a three-run homer.

T6: From the (one-day) IL to a three-hit, two-homer, three RBI game for Martinez.

T5: Safe to say that Rafael Devers is locked in? Third homer in as many games here as he crushes a hanging splitter up in the zone for a three-run homer and the rout is on, 8-1.

T5: Martinez continues to be a machine, lining the first pitch to left and scoring Hernandez from third. That’s two RBI for Martinez today.

B3: On a wild pitch, Pivetta races to the plate and takes a flip from Christian Vazquez, blocks the plate and tags oncoming runner from third, Freddy Galvis. Replay indicated that Galvis might have have gotten his cleat on the plate before being tagged higher up on the leg, but upon review, call stands and the Sox get out of a mess.

B3: Nick Pivetta catches a big break on the ninth pitch of a tough at-bat against Anthony Santander, with home plate umpire Andy Fletcher rings up Santander on a pitch a couple of inches inside.

T3: J.D. Martinez, back from a one-day IL stay because of COVID protocols, follows up with an opposite field homer of his own, belting a curve to right. He now has at least one extra-base hits in all eight of the games he’s played.

T3: Alex Verdugo goes the other way for a shot to left field, a three-run homer. Verdugo stayed on a fastball tailing away from him and drove it into the seats.

T3: Franchy Cordero, who can really move for a big guy, beats out an infield chopper with the call overturned on replay.

B2: Fabulous play by Rafael Devers, who backhands a high line drive then settles in and throws across the infield to double up D.J. Stewart at first base. Devers has turned in superb plays in each of the last two games.

PRE-GAME STATS: The Red Sox begin the day in sole possession of first place in the AL East for the first time since the end of the 2018 season…Of the Red Sox’ five wins, four have been of the comeback variety…The Sox have already won two games in which they were trailing going into the ninth inning; in all of 2020, that happened just once…In losing their first three games, then winning their next five, the Red Sox have done something for the first time as a franchise since 1945…A win today would make the Sox the first team to open with at least three losses followed by six wins since the 2005 …Red Sox starting pitchers have gone at least five innings and allowed three earned runs or fewer in seven of the first eight games, including each of the last five…In four appearances to date, has faced 16 batters and retired 15 of them, 11 by strikeout….He’s also fanned seven of the last eight hitters he’s faced…Since the start of the 2018 season, among pitchers with 150 innings or more, Barnes leads all relievers with a strikeout rate of 14.49 per nine innings and a strikeout rate of 37.1 percent…The Red Sox’ bullpen ranks fourth in the league in ERA (2.95) and has allowed just three earned runs in the last 19.2 innings…Boston relievers have faced 157 hitters and pitched 36.2 innings and have yet to give up a homer this season…After scoring just five runs combined over their first three games, the Sox have scored at least six runs in every game over the last five…Rafael Devers will play his 400th career game today, and has 76 homers. The only other players in franchise history to play 400 games and hit at least 75 homers are Ted Williams, Nomar Garciaparra and …Against Nick Pivetta lifetime, Freddy Galvis is 2-for- 3 while Rio Ruiz is 0-for-5…Meanwhile, Devers is 2-for-3 with both hits being homers against Jorge Lopez.

NEWS AND NOTES:

An hour before gametime, the Red Sox reinstated J.D. Martinez from the COVID-19 related Injured List and optioned Michael Chavis to the taxi squad. Martinez had been placed on the IL Saturday night when he experienced cold symptoms, triggering COVID-19 protocols. Martinez first needed to receive several negative tests and get clearance from the MLB Joint Committee on Health and Safety.

Alex Cora is hopeful that the majority of players and staff members will elect to get the vaccine, which will provide for a safer environment for the traveling party and also lead to some relaxation of protocols. “The way it’s going, I do believe we will,” he said. “But you never know — people might change their minds.” Cora got his first shot in Fort Myers, as did a few members of the coaching staff, but no players have been vaccinated. “We’re working on that, we’re talking about it,” he said. “Hopefully, by the time we get home (from the current trip) we can get the ball rolling and we can some of them vaccinated.” The Red Sox plan to have their medical staff make a presentation to the players about the benefits of the vaccine. “If we want it to be as normal as possible, it’s there (if at least 85 percent get vaccinated). You saw the rules, you saw what it’s all about. I know they’ve been talking about it, but we’ll make a formal presentation and they’ll decide.” Cora said he’ll “take my manager’s hat away,” and tell players the benefits of the vaccine.

The Sox have carefully monitored pitch counts of their starters in the first 10 days of the season. No single starter has thrown more than 92 pitches in a single game and Cora said that’s by design. “We don’t have too many off days until (later this month),” said Cora. “We have to grind, but we have to be careful, too, not to overuse the bullpen. There have been some games in which we were up 7-0 and we ended up using (Adam) Ottavino and that’s not good either. We’ll take care of (the starters) for a little bit. Obviously, it’s not perfect. But we’ve done this before. What we sacrifice now is going to pay off later on.” Cora loosely identified the first week of May as a time when starters will be permitted to go deeper. “I’m very pleased with the way they’ve bene throwing the ball, very pleased with the effort and the chances they’ve been given us to win games,” Cora said. “We might need a few longer ones this week because of where we’re at, schedule-wise.”

BSJ Game Report: Red Sox 14, Orioles 9 — Sox turn Camden Yards into homer haven

Sean McAdam

All you need to know about the Red Sox’ win over the Orioles, complete with BSJ analysis and insight:

HEADLINES

Martinez, Devers lead explosion, combine for five homers: All together, the Red Sox blasted six homers out of and around Camden Yards Sunday, with five of those coming from just two hitters. J.D. Martinez, who spent the previous game on the COVID-19 related IL, hit three (one shy of his personal single-game best) and Rafael Devers contributed two more. Together, the two sluggers combined for nine RBI. Martinez, who expressed frustration that an allergy attack Saturday afternoon triggered COVID-19 protocols, sure didn’t seem to be at all limited, hitting two to right field and the third to straightaway center. The afternoon was a continuation of the hot start he’s been on since the beginning, with five homers and 16 RBI in his first eight games. Not bad for a guy who was forced to spend all of yesterday in his hotel room, in quarantine. Devers, meanwhile, finished off a monster series with a two-homer day and four for the series. And just for good measure, Devers seems to have settled in at third base, too, coming up with his second highlight play in two games when he fully extended to backhand a hard, high liner in the second, then fire to first to complete a .

Pivetta gets the job done: A quick look at the line score — six innings pitched, four runs allowed — might suggest that Nick Pivetta pitched to the scoreboard. But that’s a bit misleading, as three of the four runs he allowed came in the sixth when his pitch count climbed toward triple digits. Pivetta was frustrated that he allowed a three-run shot to Maikel Franco, but there’s no discounting what he did over the first five innings — working quickly, getting ahead and staying away from any big innings. In that span, he allowed just five hits and two walks. In turn, Pivetta credited his offense which helped give him some early backing and allowed him to be aggressive. “Having that run support,” he said, “makes things a lot easier.”

TURNING POINT

Given the final score, it might look like this one was never in doubt. But in the bottom of the third with the Sox up 4-0, the Orioles threatened, loading the bases with one out. Nick Pivetta crossed up catcher Christian Vazquez and a pitch got away. Freddy Galvis, the baserunner at third, broke for the plate but Vazquez scrambled to corral the errant pitch, fed a perfect feed to Pivetta, who slid into the plate, blocked Galvis and applied the tag to record the second out. A called third strike to Anthony Santander closed out the inning, and the Sox were on their way to adding on.

TWO UP

Alex Verdugo: As was the case last season, it’s taking Verdugo a while to get untracked at the plate. But Sunday demonstrated that he might be getting closer with two hits — including his first homer of the year — and three RBI and two runs scored.

Xander Bogaerts: Compared to some of his teammates, the shortstop had something of a quiet day, failing to hit a homer. But he did manage three hits (two singles and a double) and is batting .375 for the season.

TWO DOWN

Marwin Gonzalez: Gonzalez found a way to be the only member of the lineup to not have at least one hit, going 0-for-4 with a hit-by-pitch in his five plate appearances.

Austin Brice, Phillips Valdez: Both relievers had gigantic leads when they were given some mop-up duty, and yet somehow, both had trouble throwing strikes. Brice walked the first two hitters he faced despite leading 10-1 at the time and Valdez later needed 36 pitches to get through the ninth.

QUOTE OF NOTE

“I was thinking, ‘He’s really not going to throw me a strike here, but I have to take a chance.’ ” — J.D. Martinez, who swung mightily on a full count in his final attempt in a futile effort to connect for his fourth homer.

STATISTICALLY SPEAKING

J.D. Martinez has 12 extra-base hits through his first eight games, the most by any player in his first eight games of a season in AL history.

Sunday marked the fourth time in Red Sox history when one player hit three homers (Martinez) and another hit two (Rafael Devers).

The six homers in one game was not a club record; the Sox have hit seven in a game seven times, most recently in 2013.

When Trey Mancini connected off Austin Brice, it ended a streak of 36.2 innings by the bullpen without allowing a homer this season.

Nick Pivetta became the first Red Sox starting pitcher since Tim Wakefield in 1995 to win all four of his first four starts.

UP NEXT: The Red Sox begin a four-game set at Target Field with Twins, with LHP Martin Perez (0-0, 5.40) vs. LHP J.A. Happ (0-0, 2.25).

For streaking Sox, road about to get tougher

Sean McAdam

What a difference a week can make.

Last Sunday, the Red Sox were crawling from the wreckage of a three-game sweep at the hands of the Orioles, trying — without much success — to explain what had hit them. In their wake: a comedy of errors, a punchless attack and one blowout loss.

If the sky wasn’t falling, then certainly the Red Sox were … right to the bottom of the division standings on the first weekend of the season.

And yet, they have successfully executed a rebound that almost defied description. A sweep of the Tampa Bay Rays got them back to sea level and a road sweep of the same Orioles who rubbed their noses in their own mess followed.

Crisis, what crisis?

Even as the Sox pounded the O’s into submission Sunday at Camden Yards, launching six homers and spraying 17 hits around and out of the ballpark, for their sixth straight win, there was a distinctly measured tone in their postgame comments. Having been written off a week ago following a three-game stretch, the Red Sox knew better than to prematurely start fitting themselves for those souvenir “Division Champs” hat that, once upon a time, got passed out in Champagne-soaked clubhouses.

“I told you guys, when we lost three and everyone was panicking, ‘Relax guys, it’s only three games, there’s still a lot more games to go’ ” said J.D. Martinez, who paced the attack Sunday with three homers and four RBI. “And I’ll say it (again) right now: So what? We’ve won six in a row, but there’s still a lot more to go. You don’t get too high and you don’t get too low. You kind of keep going and stay hungry.”

That’s a prudent approach, because the truth of the matter is, things are about to get exponentially more challenging for the Sox. Give them credit, yes, for taking three in a row from the Rays at home. But the recent demolition of the Orioles shouldn’t lull anyone into a false sense of security. Even if these Red Sox don’t seem like a threat to take the division, they should be beating up the Orioles — home or away.

Over the next 10 days, the Red Sox have four on the road with the Minnesota Twins, four at home with the resurgent and two more with the improved .

In other words, buckle up.

The Twins have won the AL Central each of the last two years and currently occupy first place in the division. The White Sox were among the most active teams the last two winters and are considered one of the handful of best teams in the league. And the Jays, while again dealing with forced relocation, are formidable.

None of which is to suggest that the Red Sox aren’t firing on every proverbial cylinder. After an opening series in which it seemed like their bats hadn’t made the trip with them from Fort Myers, the Sox’ offense is operating at peak efficiency. In constructing their six-game winning streak, they’ve averaged nearly nine (8.83) runs per game and are batting .332 and slugging .574 with 12 homers in that span. At no point during the streak have they scored fewer than six runs.

When Nick Pivetta yielded a three-run homer in his final inning of work Sunday, it marked the first time in the streak that a Boston starting pitcher had been charged with allowing more than three earned runs. Finally, the defense which seemed so slipshod during the season’s opening series is now virtually airtight.

Third baseman Rafael Devers, who usually manages to give off the impression that his glove doesn’t thaw out until May, turned in spectacular plays at third in the last two games in Baltimore, both to his backhand. On Saturday, as the Orioles threatened with the bases loaded, he roamed behind the bag to handle a smash, set himself quickly and launched a laser to first to get the out and save at least two runs.

On Sunday, he extended himself fully to snare a high, hard liner before having the presence of mind to gun a throw to first to finish off a double play and quell a second-inning rally.

In fact, beyond the nice-problem-to-have issue of mop-up relievers being cuffed around while protecting enormous leads, are seemingly without fault for the time being.

But the next four will see the Red Sox facing J.A. Happ, Cy Young-runner up Kenta Maeda, fireballing Jose Berrios and Michael Pineda, which is far stretch from, say, and Jorge Lopez. The White Sox and Jays will up the ante, too, with quality starters of their own.

How well the Sox do over these next 10 games will not make-or-break their season anymore than their first three permanently derailed their season, or the most recent six have guaranteed them a return to the postseason. But a strong showing against markedly better teams will lend these Sox further legitimacy.

As Martinez himself wisely intoned: There’s still a lot more to go.

* The Athletic

After getting it done vs. Orioles, Red Sox have their real test coming up

Jen McCaffrey

Now, for the real test.

A week ago, the Orioles trounced the Red Sox to complete a three-game season-opening sweep at Fenway Park. Seven days later, the Red Sox returned the walloping with a monstrous win in Baltimore to close out a sweep of their own Sunday. Since those first three games against the Orioles, nearly everything has fallen Boston’s way. Big hits, timely pitching, extra-inning wins.

The Red Sox, who never won more than three in a row in 2020, have now won six straight games for the first time since July 2019. Their last streak longer than six wins was a 10-gamer in July 2018.

In order for them to compete in this division this year, the preseason narrative was that they’d have to stay healthy, have things fall their way and have chief baseball officer Chaim Bloom’s offseason acquisitions perform to their potential. In the early part of the season, all three have rung true.

“It’s a good vibe. We’ve got a bunch of good baseball players,” manager Alex Cora said after Saturday’s walk-off win. “That’s the way I see it. I know a lot of people don’t feel like we’ve got superstars, but I like my bunch. It’s a good baseball team.”

But sweeping the Rays at home — the defending AL champions, yes, but also a team that lost some big names this winter and, besides, that was a Red Sox team whose expectations had hit rock bottom — last week followed by another sweep of the Orioles this weekend is one thing. Now, the Red Sox have a bigger test coming up this week with four straight in Minnesota, winners of the AL Central the past two seasons.

The Red Sox faced the Twins six times in spring training, going 4-1-1, though that has little meaning for the regular season. It does, however, mean the advance reports are chock-full — but the Twins are equally as ready.

The Twins’ plus-21 run differential ranks second behind the Astros for best in the American League. Known for their powerful offense, one that led all of baseball with 307 homers in 2019 and ranked sixth last year with 91, the Twins will provide a different challenge for Red Sox pitchers, who must now face a much more muscular lineup than what the Rays and Orioles have.

That’s not all the Twins have to offer. Despite a 5-4 record and two consecutive losses, Twins’ starting pitching has been unrelenting over the first nine games.

J.A. Happ, Cy Young runner-up Kenta Maeda, Jose Berrios and Michael Pineda are lined up to face the Red Sox in the four-game series, and none of them have allowed more than two earned runs in a start so far. Twins pitchers as a team have posted a 2.83 ERA, fourth-best in the majors and second in the AL.

Moreover, the Twins tend to play the Red Sox hard at home, with the Red Sox going 3-3 at Target Field since the start of 2018.

Still, the Red Sox will go into the game feeling like everything is going their way — like, for instance, their top slugger being on the COVID-19 list one day, and clubbing three home runs the next.

J.D. Martinez was quarantined from the team Saturday after developing cold-like symptoms that triggered COVID-19 protocols, but he was cleared nearly as quickly Sunday, entered the lineup and hit three home runs. It was a feat he’d only accomplished twice before in his career.

Even when the Orioles cut the deficit to 10-7 late in the game with a pair of three-run homers, the Red Sox responded with more offensive firepower in the 14-9 win.

“Everything is going great over here,” Rafael Devers said. “The vibe here has been great. Everyone is behind each other and we’re all having fun as a group. The hitters, the pitchers, we’re all in the same zone right now.”

After being outscored by the Orioles 18-5 in those first three games, the Red Sox outscored the Rays and Orioles 53-25 in the six subsequent games. They’re now tied with the Angels and Astros for most wins in the AL.

“We’ve been playing good baseball for a while,” Cora said. “Obviously, last weekend was last weekend, but I think the only bad game we had was Sunday. Besides that, we stayed with the program. Guys are working on their defense, working on their craft offensively, we’re not taking anything for granted. Just go out there and play and see where it takes us.”

The Red Sox are rolling right now, but this week will be a test of their mettle. For as good as they’re feeling, they know six April wins doesn’t mean much against the backdrop of a six-month-long season.

“When we lost three and everyone was panicking, I said, ‘Relax guys, it’s only three games. There’s still a lot more games to go,’’ Martinez said. “And I’ll say it right now — so what? We’ve won six in a row, there’s still a lot more to go. Don’t get too high, don’t get too low. Just kind of keep going, stay hungry and come out. We’ve got J.A. Happ tomorrow and the Twins, it’s a good matchup, they have a really good team over there. So it should be a good challenge for us.”

* Associated Press

Martinez comes off COVID list, hits 3 HRs as Red Sox top O’s

BALTIMORE (AP) — J.D. Martinez caught up in a hurry.

Martinez came off the COVID-19 list and hit three home runs, powering the Boston Red Sox past the Baltimore Orioles 14-9 Sunday for their sixth straight win.

Martinez struck out in the first inning and quickly made some adjustments.

“After that first at-bat, I felt like everything just kind of sped up on me,” Martinez said. “I went to the cage and I was like, ‘All right, we need to dial this up. We can get it going. Wake up.’ After that, I felt a lot more in control and I felt really good.”

The 33-year-old Martinez was back in the lineup one day after being placed on the COVID-19 injured list because of cold symptoms. He passed the required tests and went 4 for 6, driving in four runs and scoring four times.

Martinez got a chance at a record-tying fourth homer in the ninth inning and struck out swinging. He is the last of 18 major leaguers to homer four times in a game, doing it in September 2017 for Arizona.

This was the fourth time that Martinez has hit at least three homers in a game. A year after batting just .213 with seven home runs in 54 games during the pandemic-shortened season, he is hitting .472 (17 for 36) with five homers and 16 RBIs in eight games.

“He’s locked in. You can tell,” manager Alex Cora said. “This is the guy I saw in (2018 and 2019), He has an idea of what he wants to do. He doesn’t deviate from his process. I think the last swing he was just hoping for a strike to see if he could hit it in the air. That wasn’t the case.”

Martinez hit solo homers in the third, sixth and eighth innings. The three-time All-Star also had an RBI single.

Rafael Devers homered twice and Alex Verdugo added a three-run shot for the Red Sox, who completed a three-game sweep — Boston lost three in a row to Baltimore at Fenway Park to start the season.

“I feel good obviously. I made a couple of changes here and there but I still have the same approach every single game and now things are falling in my favor,” Devers said. “It feels good to be able to contribute as much as I am right now.”

Devers has homered in three straight games for the second time in his career. Boston entered the game ranked near the bottom of the American League with seven home runs.

Nick Pivetta (2-0) allowed four runs and seven hits with seven strikeouts and three walks over six innings.

Maikel Franco and Trey Mancini hit three-run homers for the Orioles. Ryan McKenna managed a triple in the sixth for his first major league hit.

“I was thinking the other day that would be pretty cool if that happened,” Mckenna said.

Boston took the lead on a three-run homer by Verdugo followed by a drive from Martinez off Jorge Lopez (0-2) in the third. Lopez allowed eight runs and seven hits over just four innings.

Baltimore shortstop Freddy Galvis was shaken up after being tagged out at the plate on a pitch that got just past catcher Christian Vázquez in the third, but he was able to stay in the game.

The Orioles cut the margin to 4-1 on an RBI single by Franco that scored Ryan Mountcastle, who led off the fourth with a double. The Red Sox responded the following inning on a single by Martinez and a three- run homer by Devers.

Martinez connected in the sixth for a 10-1 lead.

Mancini’s drive off Austin Brice cut the lead to 10-7 in the seventh. Martinez and Devers answered again for the Red Sox with homers in the eighth.

“We just had a tough time out of the (bullpen) getting guys out,” Baltimore manager said. “Proud of our offense, the way we kept scratching back.”

TRAINER’S ROOM

Red Sox: INF Michael Chavis was optioned to the team’s alternate training site to make room for Martinez. Chavis, however, will remain with the team on the road trip as a member of the taxi squad.

UP NEXT

Red Sox: LHP Martin Perez (0-0, 5.40 ERA) will face his former team when he starts the opener of a four- game series in Minnesota beginning Monday. Perez went 10-7 with a 5.12 ERA for the Twins in 2019. LHP J.A. Happ (0-0, 2.25) gets the start for Minnesota.

Orioles: RHP (0-1, 9.00 ERA) is slated to make his sixth career start Monday against Seattle. LHP Justus Sheffield (0-1, 7.20) will start for Seattle.

* The New York Times

M.L.B. Pushes Incentives to Encourage Players to Get Vaccine

James Wagner

A few days after going to a grocery store over the winter, Milwaukee Brewers reliever Brent Suter woke up feeling off. As the day went on, he grew tired and achy, and his back stiffened. He tested positive for the coronavirus the next day, and so did his wife soon after. Suter, 31, said his lungs were inflamed, and he lost his sense of smell and taste for two weeks. He paused his off-season throwing.

“I’ve been sicker in my life, but I’ve never been that out of it that long,” Suter said in a video news conference last week. He added later, “Not a fun 10 days.”

With that experience in mind, and after consulting with team and independent doctors, Suter said the decision to stick out his right shoulder — his nonthrowing arm, to be sure — for a Covid-19 vaccine was easy. Wearing masks and practicing social distancing are to curb the virus, he said, “but now we can beat this thing.”

Vaccination rollouts are in full swing, and the Biden administration has directed state, local and tribal governments to make all adults eligible for Covid-19 vaccines by next Monday. But not everyone is eager to be vaccinated, including baseball players, despite additional incentives offered by their own union and the league.

“I know a lot of the guys really aren’t getting the itch to really go out and mingle or outdoor dining or go to bars or restaurants and have that kind of normal lifestyle,” Mets third baseman J.D. Davis said, somewhat surprisingly the day after the season began. “We are so focused on baseball right now.”

When asked whether he would get a vaccine, Davis said he hadn’t thought much about it. But he called whatever decision he made a personal choice. The hesitancy of several Mets teammates prompted team officials to schedule additional educational sessions with doctors last week ahead of offering the two-dose Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine on Thursday.

“We want to get as many players vaccinated as possible,” said Sandy Alderson, the team president. “And that’s in the best interests of the team, it’s in the best interests of their families, it’s in the best interests of those who work with the players. So I hope that in addition to their own personal medical considerations that they take all of those things into consideration.”

Much like in the N.B.A., M.L.B. and the players’ union recently dangled a carrot in front of teams, players and key staff. On March 29, they sent them a three-page memorandum detailing how the strict health and safety protocols would be loosened for individuals who are vaccinated and for teams that reach an 85 percent vaccination threshold.

Among the many rewards for individuals who are fully vaccinated (two weeks after the last dose): Vaccinated people can gather on team planes, trains or buses again (read: card games are back); indoor gatherings without masks or distancing with other vaccinated people is permitted outside of team facilities; virus testing can be reduced from every other day to twice a week; vaccinated family or household members can stay at the team hotel on the road.

Among the many benefits for a team reaching the vaccination mark: Masks are no longer required in the dugout or the bullpen; mandated contact tracing sensors can be tossed aside; eating indoors at restaurants is allowed; nonvaccinated family or household members and vaccinated nonfamily can stay with players and staff at the team hotel; shared clubhouse activities (such as pool tables and video games) can return.

(Even fans are being given incentives: The are offering $10 tickets to select games in April and May for people who show proof of at least one dose.)

While this doesn’t add up to a full return to pre-pandemic life, it would be much closer to it than what players and key staff have experienced since the 2020 season began.

“I’m ready to get back to normal,” pitcher Max Scherzer of the told reporters as his team was dealing with a virus outbreak that broke a streak of six weeks of largely virus-free baseball for major league teams.

And when the Nationals’ regular season began five days later than expected, they were without nine players who had either tested positive for the virus or been in close contact with infected teammates. Last year, larger outbreaks on the and the St. Louis Cardinals nearly derailed an already shortened regular season.

“We’re very mindful of the way that we get back to normal, the way we keep our players healthy, the way we keep our community healthy is to get as many people vaccinated as possible,” David Stearns, the Brewers’ president of baseball operations, said last week.

He added later: “This benefits the game. The more players and people within our universe we can get vaccinated, the more assurances that we have that our games are going to go off without a hitch for the entirety of the season, and the faster we get back to full houses at American Family Field.”

So far, the and the Cardinals are among the few teams to say they have reached the 85 percent threshold. Before they opened the season, against the Reds, the Cardinals received the single-dose Johnson & Johnson vaccine in Cincinnati.

Scherzer, who sits on a high-ranking union committee, couldn’t wait for his turn. “I tend to follow the science,” he told reporters.

Other teams were optimistic they would reach the magic number. The Houston Astros, for example, made a pit stop in Texas after leaving spring training in Florida and before starting the regular season at Oakland to be vaccinated.

“I’m confident we’re going to be well past that 85 percent,” Yankees Manager Aaron Boone said. Boone, who was vaccinated during spring training, said players and members of their traveling party were offered their turn at Yankee Stadium on Wednesday, which coincided with a day off on Thursday in case of reactions.

(A few players in the league have missed time after their shots. Yankees third baseman Gio Urshela, for example, missed Friday’s game.)

Some teams were unsure if they would reach the threshold. Rhys Hoskins said some teammates were eager to get a vaccine while others were in wait-and-see mode.

“That’s probably how it’s going to be for the next couple months,” he said. “It’s such a tough situation, just because each guy has their own opinion on it and it’s something that’s obviously been such a polarizing topic not only in our game but in our nation.”

Chicago Cubs Manager David Ross told reporters the team had continued talking to players about the vaccines. While their vaccination percentage has crept up, it hasn’t reached the target. Kaycee Sogard, the wife of Cubs infielder Eric Sogard, took to social media recently to criticize the incentives as pressuring players unwilling to get a vaccine.

While the league has worked to get players vaccinated, it has not mandated that they do so. It was “very important” to players that they be given the option to make their own choice for themselves and their families, Tony Clark, the union’s executive director, said in a phone interview. But he and the union, like the league and its teams, are encouraging players to get the shots.

Various factors might explain the players’ hesitancy. The majority of them are white, and they tend to skew conservative in their politics. According to the Pew Research Center, demographic groups like Republicans, Black Americans and white evangelicals were among those least likely to say they would get a vaccine.

Dr. William Schaffner, an infectious disease expert at Vanderbilt University, said in a phone interview that the willingness to receive a vaccine improved within the school’s medical center — and misinformation surrounding it was abated — when its outreach targeted specific demographic groups’ concerns. Discussions about a vaccine, he said, should be honest and free of judgment, and emphasize responsibility.

“This is clearly an individual choice,” he said. “There are no mandates, but we hope that everybody makes the best choice. Vaccines protect individuals, but they also protect groups. These are communicable, contagious infections. And recognizing that these vaccines, at their best, are 95 percent effective, you want everybody on the team and everybody associated closely with the team to be protected.”

On the Brewers, Stearns declined to say what percentage of the team had been vaccinated, but he said “a good chunk” had. What helped achieve that? Suter said it was conversations in the clubhouse about any mistrust or concerns surrounding the vaccines and a meeting in which a team doctor answered anonymous questions. Mark Niedfeldt, a Brewers doctor, commended outfielder Christian Yelich and Suter for encouraging their teammates.

And when the Brewers joined Milwaukee officials in a public service campaign meant to highlight the efficacy and safety of the vaccines, players such as pitcher Freddy Peralta, infielder Keston Hiura, Suter and Yelich received the Johnson & Johnson shot on camera and talked about its importance.

“It’s a way of showing I care about you,” Suter said in the video. Yelich said, “I’m looking forward to getting back to normal life.”